Why Is This Important?

Long Story Short

U.S. scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville have found a way to morph harmful cancer cells into normal cells.

Long Story

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, Fla., have found a way to stop cancerous cells dead in their tracks.

This new development sees cancer cells turned back into normal cells, potentially leading to new treatments that could reverse tumor growth.

Tested on human cells in a laboratory, aggressive breast, lung and bladder cancer cells were turned back into normal benign cells, restoring functions and stopping excessive and dangerous multiplying. Researchers are hopeful that the procedure can be used to target tumors, eventually making cancerous cells non-existent and saving patients from intense chemotherapy or surgery.

Cancer cells do not divide in order to simply replace themselves, like normal cells do; they are usually unstoppable, leading to massive cell production and tumor growth. The researchers have discovered microRNAs, a glue holding cells together regulated by biological microprocessors, and when the body functions normally, the microRNAs trigger the cells, disabling them from dividing when they have replicated in large amounts. This is done by PLEKHA7, which triggers production of a protein that breaks the cell bonds. When it comes to cancer, this process doesn’t work.

In this particular instance, however, the Mayo scientists found out they can switch on the cancer cells when removing the microRNAs from cells, preventing them from protein production. The process can now be reversed — essentially slamming on the brakes — and stopping cancer from moving forward.

“These cells are already missing PLEKHA7,” said Prof. Panos Anastasiadis, of the Department of Cancer Biology. “Restoring either PLEKHA7 levels, or the levels of microRNAs in these cells turns them back to a benign state. We are now working on better delivery options.”

Well, isn’t that something?

This is perhaps the biggest advancement in cancer research history. Ironically, it’s one deemed an “unexpected finding,” according to Dr. Chris Bakal, from the Institute for Cancer Research in London. This research solved a puzzle that biologists were trying to solve for decades — why cells didn’t naturally prevent the rapid increase in cancer.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Will we ever see a day where every type of cancer can be curable in our lifetime?Disrupt Your Feed: We've heard about breakthroughs before, I won't hold my breath that this is any type of miracle cure.Drop This Fact: According to the World Health Organization, cancers of major public health relevance such as breast, cervical and colorectal cancer can be cured if detected early and treated adequately.

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